The Top 10 Best Current (US) Sports Duos
It takes two, baby. It takes two!
While that may be a popular song from a long time ago, it also happens to be the narrative in sports, as teams and fans know that it takes more than just one player to compete or win a championship.
Just as Batman has Robin and Beavis had Butt-Head, these are the sports duos who are the best in sports right now.
Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin
1 of 10
Generally speaking, when people think about the Chicago Blackhawks, they almost immediately put Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews together.
Not so fast, my friend.
While Kaner and Toews have accomplished a lot together—namely three Stanley Cup titles—it's actually teammate Artemi Panarin who formed a better duo with Chicago's leading superstar.
Together, Kane and Panarin combined for 183 points during the regular season, making them far and above the second-highest duo, which finished with 162.
No, Chicago wasn't capable of capturing a second-straight championship this season, but with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin, hopefully, in the lineup together for a long time—Chicago's talking extension with Panarin—their hopes of capturing a few more are high.
Matt Ryan and Julio Jones
2 of 10
I know what you're probably thinking: How on earth could I include the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback-wide receiver duo of Matt Ryan and Julio Jones when the team has failed to reach the playoffs in each of the past three seasons? Simple answer, because the production of these two hasn't diminished.
While it has been tough sledding for the Falcons as a team, Ryan and Jones have put up insane numbers over the past two years when both healthy, combining for 3,464 yards, 240 pass completions and 14 touchdowns together.
Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer
3 of 10
The Washington Nationals are the NL East divisional leaders as of right now, and it's the team's pitching that can take the most credit for getting them there.
Sure, the Nats have reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper in their lineup, but pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer aren't too shabby in their own right every time they're slated to take the mound—and this season is proving that.
While both have always been talented, 2016 has them both finally healthy, making a one-two punch that's difficult for opposing batters to conquer, as the Nats' two aces have a combined win-loss record of 16-4 with an ERA of 3.21. Both also sit in the top 4 in the NL in strikeouts.
With Strasburg and Scherzer, Washington has a chance to be lethal if it reaches October baseball.
Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge
4 of 10
Forget about the Big Three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, because it's time for a new generation of superstars on the San Antonio Spurs, and their names are LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard.
While both were always all-stars on their own in the past, this season saw them reach the accomplishment together after Aldridge joined the Spurs via free agency last offseason.
With Leonard, 24, and Aldridge, 30, the Spurs have a dynamic duo who combined for 39.2 points per game in 2015-16 while slowly being handed the baton as the new kids on the always hopeful championship-chasing Spurs.
Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman
5 of 10
Two of the founding members of the Seattle Seahawks' vaunted Legion of Boom, defensive backs Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are, arguably, the two top players at their respective positions, giving the 'Hawks defense a dynamic that no other team in the NFL has.
Playing in two Super Bowls together in the past four seasons—winning one—and reaching the playoffs in each of those years, Sherman and Thomas also scooped up big-time contracts to go with their personal accolades, making sure they remain in Seattle for a long time.
With Sherman recently telling ESPN's John Clayton on 710 ESPN Seattle (h/t Eric Mandel of MyNorthwest.com) that he thinks the Legion of Boom is "just hitting its prime," opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers need to take even further notice of where Nos. 25 and 29 are on the field.
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving
6 of 10
For all of the talk about the Big Three that the Cleveland Cavaliers have assembled with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, its been obvious that James and Irving are the true leaders of the team when it comes to offense.
And they're a duo that has proven to be a handful when rolling on all cylinders.
Love is a very good player, but he takes touches away from these two while on the floor, removing any hope of a guy like Kyrie from going off for 50-plus—as he has in the past couple of seasons—or James from going full beast mode on teams.
Combining for 45.9 points and 12 assists in their two seasons together, the two have led Cleveland to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, with Irving healthy enough to play during this year's version to give Cavs fans hope for a title.
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin
7 of 10
They haven't yet reached a Stanley Cup Final together, but that doesn't take away anything that Dallas Stars superstars Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin have done.
Without question, two of the most lethal offensive players in the NHL when they're on the ice together, opposing defenses have more than their hands full, wondering which player will act as playmaker and which one will be the finisher.
Combining to total 162 points during the regular season together this year—even with Seguin missing 10 games to injury—the tandem also led Dallas to an impressive playoff run, leaving them hungry to advance even further next year.
Of course, to do that, the Stars will have to lock up Benn to a long-term—and very rich—deal this offseason.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
8 of 10
There were always question marks surrounding the talented pair of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City, but, when healthy, the two have put up absurd stats that make the Thunder a championship contender.
While OKC blew its 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors this postseason, fans were reminded why Durant and Westbrook are considered to be two of the top-10 players in the league thanks to their remarkable performances.
The looming question now is if they'll stay together, as Durant has a tough decision this summer regarding free agency. But if he stays with the Thunder, he and Westbrook should return to the playoffs again next season with a major chip on their shoulder.
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski
9 of 10
With all due respect to every other quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL, there isn't one that even comes close to the brilliance of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
In fact, one could make a case that Brady and Gronk are the top players at their positions in the league, meaning the New England Patriots are in good shape when these two are on the gridiron together.
Combining for 72 receptions, 1,176 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, the Pats' killer combo includes a heavy dose of dink and dunk from Brady to his big tight end, with Gronkowski known to also snatch footballs out of thin air with ease.
Together, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are the most unstoppable duo in the NFL.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson
10 of 10
No one, and I mean no one, has it quite like the Splash Brothers.
While Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have struggled in this year's NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the two are capable of breaking out and going absolutely silly at any moment—as they've both proven throughout this year's playoffs on a few occasions.
Steph, the baby-faced assassin who's recognized as the league's most lethal shooter and it's two-time MVP, and Thompson, who is a superstar who happily accepts his Robin role, give Golden State two all-stars who frustrate opposing defenses with the art of the jump shot.
With their sights set on a second-straight NBA title, these two could become one of the best duos in NBA history when all is said and done.
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